Pool swim season in Susanville, CA
Susanville, CA: how long the pool season really is
An unheated pool in Susanville never reaches 78°F in a normal year. It peaks around 74°F in Aug. The air allows up to 4 swimmable months with a heater (Jun to Sep).
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What each heater buys you in Susanville
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 0 | no month | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 1 | Aug | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $333 | $883 |
| Gas heater + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $443 | $868 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at CA prices of 32.6¢/kWh electricity and $22/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Susanville
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 4 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $71 for each month it adds.
Before you pay for any heater, buy a solar cover: on its own it adds 1 month here for about $50 a year (why a cover comes first). If you get quotes, ask for gas as well as a heat pump: once the purchase price is counted, gas comes out cheaper all-in here (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Susanville 2SW, 2.2 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Susanville month by month: air, sun and pool water
| Month | Air high | Air avg | Sun kWh/m²/day | Water, unheated | Water, covered | Heat pump $ | Gas $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43° | 33° | 2.2 | 32° | 38° | – | – |
| Feb | 48° | 37° | 3.1 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
| Mar | 54° | 42° | 4.4 | 41° | 47° | – | – |
| Apr | 61° | 47° | 5.8 | 47° | 53° | – | – |
| May | 69° | 55° | 7.0 | 55° | 61° | – | – |
| Jun | 79° | 63° | 8.1 | 64° | 70° | $195 | $257 |
| Jul | 88° | 71° | 8.1 | 72° | 78° | $37 | $54 |
| Aug | 87° | 69° | 7.2 | 74° | 80° | – | – |
| Sep | 80° | 63° | 5.8 | 69° | 75° | $101 | $132 |
| Oct | 67° | 52° | 4.1 | 58° | 64° | – | – |
| Nov | 52° | 40° | 2.6 | 45° | 51° | – | – |
| Dec | 43° | 32° | 1.8 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
Heating costs most in Jun (about $195 with a heat pump, $257 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jul at 8.1 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 13.1 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Susanville compares with nearby cities
Susanville ranks 269 of 376 California cities for unheated swim months; Reno, Chico, Oroville nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reno, NV | 74 mi | 1 | 5 | $167 |
| Sparks, NV | 77 mi | 0 | 6 | $314 |
| Chico, CA | 78 mi | 2 | 7 | $512 |
| Truckee, CA | 78 mi | 0 | 4 | $972 |
| Oroville, CA | 81 mi | 3 | 7 | $408 |
| Grass Valley, CA | 87 mi | 0 | 6 | $650 |